Safety device for elevators.



H. NOTTHOFF,

SAFETY DEVICE FOR ELEVATORS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG 20 1912.

Patented Aug. 26, 1913.

J7 JZ Inventor Attorneys UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY NOT'IHOFF, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

SAFETY DEVICE FOR ELEVATORS.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, HENRY NoTrHorr, a citizenof the United States, residing at Los Angeles, in the county of LosAngeles and State of California, have invented a new and useful SafetyDevice for Elevators, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in safety devices for elevators.

The primary object of the invention is to provide means for controllingthe movements of the car within the elevator shaft, so that in case thecable upon the control sheave should leave the sheave, the operatingmechanism controlled by the sheave will be in a position to be operatedpneui'natically by a valve under the control of the elevator operator toactuate the sheave and the pilot and main valves controlled thereby, sothat the elevator is brought to a halt.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention resides in the combination andarrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafterdescribed and claimed, it being understood that changes in the preciseembodiment of the invention herein disclosed can be made within thescope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of theinvention.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a view in section and side elevation of anelevator shaft equipped with the present invention. Fig. 2 is anenlarged section of the pneumatic device for moving the controllingvalves to neutral position.

In the drawings, 10 designates the elevator shaft, the car 11 beingoperated by the lever 12 which controls the usual speed mechanism. Thepresent invention contemplates means for controlling the movements ofthe car should the cables 15 and 16 leave the sheave or the controllingmechanism be rendered inoperative through any other cause. The car isequipped with the vertically extending tube 17 provided with a valve 18.A plurality of flexible tubes 17 and 18 are connected at opposite sidesof the valve 18, the valve cont-rolling the flow of air from one tube tothe other. The tube 18 is connected to a vertically extending pipe 19which is connected to the air supply tank 20, the constant pressure ofair being maintained in the tube 19 and the flexible tube 18' to thevalve. The tube 17 is connected to the vertically extending pipe 21, thelower Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed August 20, 1912.

Patented Aug. 26, 1913. Serial No. 716,096.

terminal of which is connected to the pipe 22 which embraces thecylinders 24 and 25. The pipe 22 is in communication with both cylindersas clearly shown in Fig. 2, the air from said pipe entering thecylinders to impart movement to the pistons 26. It will thus be notedthat when the valve 18 is opened by means of the lever 27 air will beadmitted to the tube 18, said air being conducted to the pipe 22, thesame entering the cylinders 24 and 25 forcing the pistons 26simultaneously toward each other. The drum 28 over which the cables 15and 16 pass is mounted on a shaft 29. A disk 30 is mounted on said shaftadjacent said wheel, said disk being provided with the arm 31, which isdisposed between the pistons 26, the normal position of said arm whenthe car is stopping being vertical. A crank 32 is supported by the disk30, said crank being connected by the link 33 to the lever 34, saidlever being hung intermediate of its ends for swinging movement andhaving one terminal connected to the piston rod 35 of the auxiliaryvalve (not shown) but which is mounted in the cylinder 35. The otherterminal of the lever 3i is connected to the piston 36 of the main valve(not shown), but which is mounted in the chamber 36. When the pistons 26are actuated by the operator, admitting air to the cylinders 24 and 25through the tube 21, the same will contact with the arm 31 to oscillatethe disk 30. As the disk 30 oscillates the arm 34 is raised and thepilot valve 35 and the main valve 36 will be brought into neutralposition and the car stopped. The car may be then controlled by cuttingoff the supply of air and allowing the arm 31 to assume its normalposition when the car is in motion.

What is claimed is:

1. The combination with a main valve rod and an auxiliary valve rod ofan elevator control mechanism, a control sheave operably connected tothe main valve and pilot valve rods, and a cable for operating thesheave, of manually operable mechanism for placing the main valve andthe pilot valve rods in neutral position should the cable leave thesheave.

2. The combination with a main valve rod, an auxiliary valve rod, alever operably connecting the rods of the two valves for simultaneousoperation, a sheave operably connected to said lever, and a cabletrained upon said sheave for operating the sheave and the rods of themain and pilot valves, of a safety mechanism for placing the main valveand pilot valve rods in neutral position after the cable leaves thesheave, including an arm operably connected to the sheave, andpneumatically operated means for acting upon said arm on both sides tomove it to and maintain it in a central position.

3. The combination with a main valve rod, an auxiliary valve rod, alever operably connecting the rods of the two valves for simultaneousoperation, a sheave operably connected to said lever, and a cabletrained upon said sheave for operating the sheave and the two rods ofthemain and pilot valves, of a safety mechanism for placing the mainvalve and pilot valve rods in neutral position, including an armoperably connected to the sheave, t'wo oppositely disposed air cylindersmounted in spaced relation one upon each side of said arm, two plungersdisposed within said cylinders and having their stems in operablerelation to the lower end of the arm to, when the plungers are operatedby pressure fluid, maintain the arm in a perpendicular position, and avalve controlled conduit leading to both cylinders and controllablemanually to supply pressure fluid to the cylinders.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto atfixedmy signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

HENRY NOTTH'OFF.

- lVitnesses D. P. KEARNEY, P. J. HIGGINS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

